[pvogel]

I recently received extremely poor service on UA flight 488. My company only pays coach fares, so I paid the extra for a First Class ticket out of my own pocket (over $1000). I am not a United medallion member, although I fly over 150,000 miles a year on Delta and Skyteam. During the meal service, I was told I could not choose my meal and would get whatever was left over after the Medallion members chose their meals. I did not want the terrible beef burrito option, and desired the salad. I was a FULL FARE PAYING passenger and was given less consideration than medallions who were sitting in the first class cabin on a free upgrade. (In fact, she showed me the manifest, and I was the ONLY revenue passenger in first class on that flight) She explained that it was not listed on her manifest and therefore there was nothing that could be done. While it may be a small thing, to me it felt like a slap in the face. I have flown United/Continental several times this year and I maintain 1 FF account in each alliance just in case. However, this is an extremely poor way to earn new business by treating REVENUE passengers as if they are less desirable and therefore due less consideration. I have never been treated like this in the first class cabin of any airline, especially considering I was not a freebie First passenger. Bad customer service United...very very bad. It is unlikely I will ever choose United again if any alternative exists (just found out Southwest now flies SNA to DEN) and if I have to fly United, I will not shell out my hard earned dollars to be treated like a second class passenger.

Peter Vogel